First off, just a quick word as to sources. I was only able to find this on one news network, CNN. The other places I found the story were small time sources, but they were just reprints of the CNN story. I'll continue looking and update if/when other major media outlets break the story.
Early this morning, several gunmen (believed to be liked to al-Qaeda)attacked a checkpoint, manned by Awakening Council members, in Diyala province in Iraq. The attack killed 6 checkpoint members.
Upon hearing about the attacks, the Awakening Council leader Ali Qader Ameen went to the checkpoint, as reported by local law enforcement. However, before they arrived, their transportation was hit by a roadside IED, killing Ameen and another occupant and wounding the other.
This attack comes just one day after terrorists targeted other security force sites. The Awaking Council is comprised mainly of ex al-Qaeda Sunni Muslim warriors, and is credited with having a large role in decreasing violence in Iraq over the last two years.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/26/iraq.violence/index.html
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Intro to Tracking Terror Blog
Ok, I just wanted to take a few moments to introduce both myself and the purpose for this blog.
Who are you, and what makes you qualified to blog on terrorism?
My name is Dillon. I'm currently 18 years old and a brand new freshman in college. I'm pursuing a Bachelors' Degree in psychology. Part of the reason I'm able to make a news blog is that I'm currently enrolled in a journalism class or two, so I'm learning about reporting and this gives me good practice in addition to giving you an alternate news source as well as a site dedicated to reporting on global terrorist attacks.
The other reason I feel able to report on terrorism is my future career plans. After college, I'm going to become an Air Force linguist, then transfer to the CIA's National Clandestine Service, where I will hopefully serve in the Middle East or former Soviet Bloc area. Therefore, I've studied quite of bit of terrorism and related subjects.
What this blog is:
As I stated above, this is written as an alternate news outlet (I take from all sources available, thus you're getting a fuller picture than from any one network, and one that should be more accurate) as well as to provide a dedicated source for reading news solely on the subject of terrorism.
What is blog is NOT:
A friend, retired from the intelligence community and special operations forces once told me "One of the first steps to taking the weapons out of the hands of stupid people is taking the typewriters from the media". This blog will NOT present any information deemed harmful to counter/anti terrorist efforts. We will simply report the news in the most effective and informative way possible, nothing more. Some theories on terrorism (causes, etc) may be presented, as well as biographical data on terrorists and terror organizations.
**NOTE** The author(s) of this blog are not racist, and do not discriminate in any way, be it skin tone, religion, etc. Any views presented herein that reflect such agendas do NOT reflect the beliefs or agenda of the author(s) or this blog.
There is a large distinction in Muslim culture between the word "Islamic" and "Islamist". Islamist is the word used to refer to the radical, violent members of the Muslim faith. In other words, the terrorists. The author(s) will make their best effort to always maintain an awareness of their word choice in this regard. But, please remember, we are only human. If we use the wrong wording, no offense or malice was meant.
Who are you, and what makes you qualified to blog on terrorism?
My name is Dillon. I'm currently 18 years old and a brand new freshman in college. I'm pursuing a Bachelors' Degree in psychology. Part of the reason I'm able to make a news blog is that I'm currently enrolled in a journalism class or two, so I'm learning about reporting and this gives me good practice in addition to giving you an alternate news source as well as a site dedicated to reporting on global terrorist attacks.
The other reason I feel able to report on terrorism is my future career plans. After college, I'm going to become an Air Force linguist, then transfer to the CIA's National Clandestine Service, where I will hopefully serve in the Middle East or former Soviet Bloc area. Therefore, I've studied quite of bit of terrorism and related subjects.
What this blog is:
As I stated above, this is written as an alternate news outlet (I take from all sources available, thus you're getting a fuller picture than from any one network, and one that should be more accurate) as well as to provide a dedicated source for reading news solely on the subject of terrorism.
What is blog is NOT:
A friend, retired from the intelligence community and special operations forces once told me "One of the first steps to taking the weapons out of the hands of stupid people is taking the typewriters from the media". This blog will NOT present any information deemed harmful to counter/anti terrorist efforts. We will simply report the news in the most effective and informative way possible, nothing more. Some theories on terrorism (causes, etc) may be presented, as well as biographical data on terrorists and terror organizations.
**NOTE** The author(s) of this blog are not racist, and do not discriminate in any way, be it skin tone, religion, etc. Any views presented herein that reflect such agendas do NOT reflect the beliefs or agenda of the author(s) or this blog.
There is a large distinction in Muslim culture between the word "Islamic" and "Islamist". Islamist is the word used to refer to the radical, violent members of the Muslim faith. In other words, the terrorists. The author(s) will make their best effort to always maintain an awareness of their word choice in this regard. But, please remember, we are only human. If we use the wrong wording, no offense or malice was meant.
al-Shabab
Within the past few days, the name al-Shabab (حركة الشباب المجاهدين; Ḥarakat ash-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn, "Movement of Warrior Youth" or simply الشباب, "The Youth" or "The Lads") has been popping up in the news.
The first, and most recent, case is the attacks on the capital city Mogadishu, in Somalia. Just yesterday; two members of this Islamist terror group, dressed as government security personnel, succeeded in bypassing security forces and began mass shootings in the Muna Hotel, a site which is well known to regularly host Somali government officials, before detonating bombs strapped to their bodies. I was unable to discern a time for the attack, but Aljazeera broke the story (found here) at 1442 GMT, and TIME reports it was early morning. Some of the figures were also sketchy, but from what I could find, the death toll ranges between thirty and forty, six or eight of whom were members of Parliament.
This comes the day after al-Shabab declared a "massive, final" war against what they call "invaders". Also on Monday, al-Shabab perpetuated several attacks on military barracks in multiple districts of the city. According to Somali government security officer Colonel Mohammed Omar, "Government forces are inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy....We have killed more than fifteen of their fighters."
This is not the first time al-Shabab's name has appeared in the headlines, and it certainly is not the last. I'm sure I will be filing many more reports under there name.
Sources:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/08/201082464449278785.html
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/major-rebel-attack-in-somalia/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240797.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013649,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shabaab#2010
The first, and most recent, case is the attacks on the capital city Mogadishu, in Somalia. Just yesterday; two members of this Islamist terror group, dressed as government security personnel, succeeded in bypassing security forces and began mass shootings in the Muna Hotel, a site which is well known to regularly host Somali government officials, before detonating bombs strapped to their bodies. I was unable to discern a time for the attack, but Aljazeera broke the story (found here) at 1442 GMT, and TIME reports it was early morning. Some of the figures were also sketchy, but from what I could find, the death toll ranges between thirty and forty, six or eight of whom were members of Parliament.
This comes the day after al-Shabab declared a "massive, final" war against what they call "invaders". Also on Monday, al-Shabab perpetuated several attacks on military barracks in multiple districts of the city. According to Somali government security officer Colonel Mohammed Omar, "Government forces are inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy....We have killed more than fifteen of their fighters."
This is not the first time al-Shabab's name has appeared in the headlines, and it certainly is not the last. I'm sure I will be filing many more reports under there name.
Sources:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/08/201082464449278785.html
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/major-rebel-attack-in-somalia/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240797.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013649,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shabaab#2010
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